Cornell Ranger sets unofficial distance walking record for a robot

Think you could keep pace with Cornell's Ranger robot? Just last week, the robot walker set an unofficial world record by trotting nonstop for 45 laps (that's 5.6 miles, for those counting) around the university's Barton Hall running track. After reaching that mark, the creature presumably fell over from battery exhaustion, but the team of creators are investigating to find out the exact reason it finally collapsed. Although Guinness officials weren't involved due to too much "rigmarole," the team has quite a bit to be proud of -- after all, an earlier version of the creature only made it 0.62 miles before calling it a day. Aside from garnering bragging rights, the crew is hoping to use Ranger to better understand the "mechanics of walking," which could be used to improve rehabilitation procedures or even athletic performance.

[Via Physorg]

[Darwin @ Apr 8th 2008 9:04AM]

w00t! go CU!

[Jason @ Apr 8th 2008 9:07AM]

judgement day is comming...

[Rynth @ Apr 8th 2008 10:07AM]

Dog from Hl2 would kick both there assess!

/me likes dog

[LondonConsultant @ Apr 8th 2008 10:56AM]

These would be living tissue over metal tea trolley...

[rock99rock @ Apr 8th 2008 11:37AM]

Cool. Thanks for deleting my BIGDOG post engadget. I wasnt even affiliated with the site. It was just worthy of a mention, and obviously related. Why so scared?

[phanbouy @ Apr 8th 2008 2:52PM]

London Calling!

[Naegling @ Apr 8th 2008 9:21AM]

The BigDog could kick that things ass !

[Crayola @ Apr 8th 2008 9:43AM]

Even BigDog Beta could kick that things ass!

[JPW @ Apr 8th 2008 9:44AM]

Right on. Of course, it may deafen the thing first. . . .

[nh @ Apr 8th 2008 10:11AM]

BigDog keeps on going for as long as it takes to get you. And your family.

[Anonymoose @ Apr 8th 2008 9:48AM]

i don't know. was the robot tested? i'm kind of wary of any "records" being set in the current steroid era. we need to get congress involved here.

[Haggis @ Apr 8th 2008 9:54AM]

The test was on thrusday April 4

[Munkcy @ Apr 8th 2008 10:47AM]

How would a robot use a performance enhancing drug? Though it wasn't "performance enhancing" in the sense that steroids are, I wonder if it would be like the episode of Futurama where Bender joins the Church of Robotology.

Leela: "Bender, are you jacking on in there?"

[Haggis @ Apr 8th 2008 9:52AM]

I was actually there the morning they were testing that out. I saw it making my way up to class. Didn't think much of it at first. I'm surprised that it was of some significance and made it to Engadget headlines.

[Anthony @ Apr 8th 2008 9:59AM]

This spam actually made me laugh...

I guess I can see one guy falling for it and being deeply disappointed when the discussion does not continue there.

[supermeerkat @ Apr 8th 2008 10:05AM]

Look at all those nerds!

[Anonymoose @ Apr 8th 2008 10:13AM]

i see your monitor has a glossy screen

[Rainier @ Apr 8th 2008 10:11AM]

Hey, it's Barton Hall! Ginormous airplane hangar ftw!

[Hax Or @ Apr 8th 2008 10:15AM]

It's not funny, it's viral marketing.

LOL

[diggler @ Apr 8th 2008 10:18AM]

Chariots of......wire?

[y3k.nik @ Apr 8th 2008 10:20AM]

"or even athlete performance"

were steroids not good enough?

[crho85 @ Apr 8th 2008 10:21AM]

I for one welcome our 5.6 mile walking and then collapsing robot overlords!

[Cwisfa @ Apr 8th 2008 11:03AM]

I believe the equivalent of steroids, per say, would be overclocking.

2.2 Gigawalks per hour O/C'd to 2.6?

Almost sounds do-able with water cooling...

[patsy @ Apr 8th 2008 11:09AM]

Meh, not exactly true bipedal walking, hence slightly less interesting, although certainly more interesting than four wheeled vehicle endurance driving.

[Mobile Boffin @ Apr 8th 2008 11:16AM]

A true test of robotic determination! Poor thing must be exhausted!

[7egend @ Apr 8th 2008 11:29AM]

This is not a Robot, sure it is based on the principles of robotics, but it is far from it. You see the man behind the machine with a "remote controller" this is an RC car on legs.

When you get the machine to walk by itself without human control, then I will say you have yourself a robot, till then you just have an expensive RC car.

As for Battery exhaustion, you should have used Energizer instead of your lab built battery, the bunny uses them are they not good enough for your RC car?

[supermeerkat @ Apr 8th 2008 11:50AM]

I don't get it.

[supermeerkat @ Apr 8th 2008 11:51AM]

I don't get it.

[Vorin @ Apr 8th 2008 11:51AM]

video of the Cornell Ranger doing the Relay for Life.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=-4yz8VBgfT4

[Saad Rabia @ Apr 8th 2008 11:58AM]

Only if these news come with videos!

[nojok3 @ Apr 8th 2008 12:02PM]

Normally that isn't funny but considering the post it was replying to, it was ironic.

[phanbouy @ Apr 8th 2008 1:44PM]

screw BU, Harvard too!
;P

[Anna @ Apr 8th 2008 1:55PM]

Yes, but can it walk up The Slope?? That is the test of a real CU creation;)

[phanbouy @ Apr 8th 2008 1:59PM]

let's see this thing navigate it on Slope Day!

class '01 reppin' =D

[fuz @ Apr 8th 2008 3:13PM]

My school made it on Engadget! woooo

[Morrison @ Apr 8th 2008 3:36PM]

Hold the phone, aren't 'track and fields' 1000 meters a lap,meaning it did a 45 Kilometer run? Way more then 5.6 Miles.

[01 @ Apr 8th 2008 4:14PM]

I think that's assuming it's a regulation, used-in-competition track. They could have been using a practice/non-reg track in the fieldhouse; most schools would have something like that. Impressive either way.

[SupaflyDaddyC @ Apr 9th 2008 4:10PM]

The indoor track at Cornell (and most colleges) is 200m in length. I ran a few meets there back in college.

[01 @ Apr 8th 2008 4:12PM]

I can see "You don't have to run faster than the bear, you just have to run faster than the person you're with" being replaced with "you don't have to run faster than the robot, you just have to run 5.6 miles"

[phanbouy @ Apr 8th 2008 4:16PM]

isn't that an Indian proverb?

[01 @ Apr 8th 2008 4:21PM]

You don't have to outrun the tiger....? (Was assuming you meant Asian Indian, not Native American) Not sure,I was born in Bangladesh, and lived in Montana and Alaska for a while. *shrugs* Works either way

[phanbouy @ Apr 8th 2008 4:37PM]

i'm just shittin ya. =D

[Otto @ Apr 9th 2008 4:10AM]

Ok, so it went for 5.6 miles. How fast was it??? I'm more impressed by the batteries than anything else.

Otto
http://www.dragonlasers.com

[aoi tsuki @ Apr 9th 2008 6:58PM]

Today with run with them. Tomorrow we run from them.

[Gassie @ May 25th 2008 10:00PM]

the dutch are the best